- present participle of trip.
tripping
Americanadjective
-
light and quick, as a step or pace.
-
proceeding with a light, easy movement or rhythm.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tripping
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As always, there were some style missteps, and tripping on trains and jostling dress-jams when too many oversized gowns arrived at the same time at the bottom of the famous red carpet steps.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Sonny finds himself tripping over his ineptitude and tangled up in conflicting sympathies—he’s almost as anxious as his hostages, whom he treats with an apologetic kindliness, almost like a party crasher who’s broken a vase.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
A woman who ended up in hospital after tripping on a "dangerous" pothole says she is concerned for the safety of other road users.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
These are the spending traps tripping up the richest generation.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
With Nero racing ahead, we fled through the woods, tripping over roots and ducking branches.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.